Hey everyone, I'd like to talk about a problem that is showing little signs of disappearing or going away, one that not many people seem to notice or care about, and that is interaction.
Before starting, I am not talking about anything related to balance. That is an issue that obviously many notice and complain about. The interaction I speak of is related to solitude and how little there is to do in HS towards other players.
Right now, you can:
Emote, which is very rarely used for any actual purpose other than pissing someone off
Add them after the game, which is usually just so someone can vent because they are pissed off
Challenge friends to a duel, and I'll admit, the 80g quest is probably the best improvement related to this issue that HS has enjoyed
Occasionally join forces with a random player if a Tavern Brawl requires you to
So, in short, what we have here is little more than the skeleton of most multiplayer games, and half of them aren't even effective at what they are supposed to do. Squelch a player, and, assuming they don't add you after the game, I am fairly certain you could feel like you are playing a single-player game.
There is an obvious solution that nearly everyone has already thought about: 2v2 mode. However, knowing how HS works as a game (single target spells, no discoveries during opponent's turn, other simplifications...), it should be fairly easy to know why it will probably be a challenge to implement this game mode, if it hasn't already turned into a scrapped project by Team 5.
A simpler solution would be to add clans to the game. MSOG was the perfect opportunity for this (or at least, the best one so far). They didn't need to deliver too much content. Just the customization of a banner that would show up next to your name, perhaps the overall points gained by beating members of other factions in Casual/Ranked, which would reset at the end of each season, and perhaps clan tournaments (although that could easily be arranged by players, and not Blizzard). Clans could also have a market for players to trade cards according to dust value, though I understand if you object to this part, Blizz :P. To prevent phishing, just demand all classes to be level 20 or something.
There could also be challenges for those clans, such as "Victories with a deck that contains these 5 janky cards", which would earn them more points. Also clan-related quests, clan-related bosses (Tavern Brawl style, or Ramaz from MtG 2014) could appear. These could also solve the problems created by a stale meta, Lord knows we do not want a gang full or Pirate Warriors to just get the top so easily.
I will have to go against the prevention of phishing, however, just because I thoroughly believe new players should be encouraged to join a clan (give them a quest that rewards a classic pack for them to join up or smth). Clans might help them stand up and form a collection more quickly. I'd gladly craft a third Piloted Shredder in exchange of a new player's 5th Abusive Sergeant just to help him take a step into Wild Mode.
Another idea is the ability to spectate legend or high-ranking arena matches, but without being able to see any player's hand (basically only seeing the board, to prevent sniping and that BS). Spectators could chat among themselves as the match unfurls, and comment on the plays they witness. This isn't that difficult to implement, even Fantasy Rivals allowed us to do it.
Lounges could also be implemented. Instead of having to ask someone for a janky match in these forums (no offense HPwn), you could just run up a chatroom and ask. This would also go along quite well with the introduction of clans, as many might be looking for new members, and a clan-exclusive lounge wouldn't hurt at all.
Start of Year: Provoke the failure of 3 expansions, force nerfs on otherwise balanced cards, bring deckbuilding to an all-time low and get rotated one year earlier for being such a threat to the game's health. - Genn and Baku's historical entry on the White Book of Shit Design, shortly before retiring unpunished
Bump. Also, added the last piece of the post, with two more ideas that are a bit smaller.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Start of Year: Provoke the failure of 3 expansions, force nerfs on otherwise balanced cards, bring deckbuilding to an all-time low and get rotated one year earlier for being such a threat to the game's health. - Genn and Baku's historical entry on the White Book of Shit Design, shortly before retiring unpunished
Son, I've withstanded League of Legends. HS community's got nothing on them.
Plus, as repulsive as we all are, most of us have attracted equally repulsive people to be our friends in real life. Friends who might, indeed play Hearthstone. Fairly certain those people would find a use for more interaction, even if just between themselves.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Start of Year: Provoke the failure of 3 expansions, force nerfs on otherwise balanced cards, bring deckbuilding to an all-time low and get rotated one year earlier for being such a threat to the game's health. - Genn and Baku's historical entry on the White Book of Shit Design, shortly before retiring unpunished
Pointing to an even shittier community doesn't make this one good.
Increased interaction leads to increased grief, period. There's no reason for it, and it's not worth it.
If you want to form social groups surrounding Hearthstone, there are tons of ways to do that, and many of them can happen while you are playing the game. The game itself does not need to facilitate it.
I personally would love to see less interaction in the form of an auto-squelch option.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Why, you never expected justice from a company, did you? They have neither a soul to lose nor a body to kick." -- Lady Saba Holland
I'd like more interactiveness in the form of clan's and clan quests. Essentially maybe even having a clan chat.
Clan quests could be a separate quest you get everyday which requires you to play a clan member with a certain type of deck or whatever.
level 1-10 clans.
at level 1 clan you get 10g for doing the quest, at level 10 you get 100g. (would really help f2p) but obviously your clan wouldn't get to lvl 10 over night. It would probably require your clan members to complete 5,000 quests collectively to get that high. with probably a cap of 50 members (so like 100 days of each member actually doing their quests)
Hey everyone, I'd like to talk about a problem that is showing little signs of disappearing or going away, one that not many people seem to notice or care about, and that is interaction.
Before starting, I am not talking about anything related to balance. That is an issue that obviously many notice and complain about. The interaction I speak of is related to solitude and how little there is to do in HS towards other players.
Right now, you can:
So, in short, what we have here is little more than the skeleton of most multiplayer games, and half of them aren't even effective at what they are supposed to do. Squelch a player, and, assuming they don't add you after the game, I am fairly certain you could feel like you are playing a single-player game.
There is an obvious solution that nearly everyone has already thought about: 2v2 mode. However, knowing how HS works as a game (single target spells, no discoveries during opponent's turn, other simplifications...), it should be fairly easy to know why it will probably be a challenge to implement this game mode, if it hasn't already turned into a scrapped project by Team 5.
A simpler solution would be to add clans to the game. MSOG was the perfect opportunity for this (or at least, the best one so far). They didn't need to deliver too much content. Just the customization of a banner that would show up next to your name, perhaps the overall points gained by beating members of other factions in Casual/Ranked, which would reset at the end of each season, and perhaps clan tournaments (although that could easily be arranged by players, and not Blizzard). Clans could also have a market for players to trade cards according to dust value, though I understand if you object to this part, Blizz :P. To prevent phishing, just demand all classes to be level 20 or something.
There could also be challenges for those clans, such as "Victories with a deck that contains these 5 janky cards", which would earn them more points. Also clan-related quests, clan-related bosses (Tavern Brawl style, or Ramaz from MtG 2014) could appear. These could also solve the problems created by a stale meta, Lord knows we do not want a gang full or Pirate Warriors to just get the top so easily.
I will have to go against the prevention of phishing, however, just because I thoroughly believe new players should be encouraged to join a clan (give them a quest that rewards a classic pack for them to join up or smth). Clans might help them stand up and form a collection more quickly. I'd gladly craft a third Piloted Shredder in exchange of a new player's 5th Abusive Sergeant just to help him take a step into Wild Mode.
Another idea is the ability to spectate legend or high-ranking arena matches, but without being able to see any player's hand (basically only seeing the board, to prevent sniping and that BS). Spectators could chat among themselves as the match unfurls, and comment on the plays they witness. This isn't that difficult to implement, even Fantasy Rivals allowed us to do it.
Lounges could also be implemented. Instead of having to ask someone for a janky match in these forums (no offense HPwn), you could just run up a chatroom and ask. This would also go along quite well with the introduction of clans, as many might be looking for new members, and a clan-exclusive lounge wouldn't hurt at all.
That would probably be all, for now. Discuss!
Start of Year: Provoke the failure of 3 expansions, force nerfs on otherwise balanced cards, bring deckbuilding to an all-time low and get rotated one year earlier for being such a threat to the game's health.
- Genn and Baku's historical entry on the White Book of Shit Design, shortly before retiring unpunished
trading will never hapen, there afraid of scammers farming newbs.
i like the idea of clans it might be fun
playing wild
~nomad
Bump. Also, added the last piece of the post, with two more ideas that are a bit smaller.
Start of Year: Provoke the failure of 3 expansions, force nerfs on otherwise balanced cards, bring deckbuilding to an all-time low and get rotated one year earlier for being such a threat to the game's health.
- Genn and Baku's historical entry on the White Book of Shit Design, shortly before retiring unpunished
Look at this community.
Do you want to interact with other people in this community?
I thought not.
Make the Card: The biggest thread on the site!
My mandibles which are capable of pressing down and tearing, my talons which are known to intercept and hold.
Son, I've withstanded League of Legends. HS community's got nothing on them.
Plus, as repulsive as we all are, most of us have attracted equally repulsive people to be our friends in real life. Friends who might, indeed play Hearthstone. Fairly certain those people would find a use for more interaction, even if just between themselves.
Start of Year: Provoke the failure of 3 expansions, force nerfs on otherwise balanced cards, bring deckbuilding to an all-time low and get rotated one year earlier for being such a threat to the game's health.
- Genn and Baku's historical entry on the White Book of Shit Design, shortly before retiring unpunished
Pointing to an even shittier community doesn't make this one good.
Increased interaction leads to increased grief, period. There's no reason for it, and it's not worth it.
If you want to form social groups surrounding Hearthstone, there are tons of ways to do that, and many of them can happen while you are playing the game. The game itself does not need to facilitate it.
I personally would love to see less interaction in the form of an auto-squelch option.
"Why, you never expected justice from a company, did you? They have neither a soul to lose nor a body to kick." -- Lady Saba Holland
I'd like more interactiveness in the form of clan's and clan quests. Essentially maybe even having a clan chat.
Clan quests could be a separate quest you get everyday which requires you to play a clan member with a certain type of deck or whatever.
level 1-10 clans.
at level 1 clan you get 10g for doing the quest, at level 10 you get 100g. (would really help f2p) but obviously your clan wouldn't get to lvl 10 over night. It would probably require your clan members to complete 5,000 quests collectively to get that high. with probably a cap of 50 members (so like 100 days of each member actually doing their quests)